.%. 


v%^.""-^^ 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


A 


1.0 


I.I 


i^  1^    III  2.2 
us 


14  0 


12.0 


1.8 


1.25    II  u 

1.6 

i                                     .             ■                 ,                      . 

-^ 6"     — 

► 

Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


33  WeST  MAIN  STRUT 

WEBSTIR.N.Y.  14SS0 

(716)  872-4503 


\ 


iV 


•s? 


N> 


LV 


rv 


'^^\ 


o^ 


'^ 


^^ 


'% 


,y^:^ .  % 


^o         ^^P 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


:\ 


\ 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


□    Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


I      I    Covers  damaged/ 


D 


D 


D 
D 
D 


D 


0 


Couverture  endommagde 


Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurde  et/ou  pelliculde 


I      I    Cover  title  missing/ 


Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

Coloured  maps/ 

Cartes  gdographiques  en  couleur 


□    Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 


Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 
Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 


Bound  with  other  material/ 
Relid  avec  d'autres  documents 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

Lareliure  sertie  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  intirieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajouties 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  cela  dtait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  6t6  film6es. 


Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  supplimentaires; 


MANUSCRIPT  CORRECTIONS  AND  NOTES  ADDED  THROUGHOUT. 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  6t6  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-dtre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  mithode  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiqu6s  ci-dessous. 


The( 
toth 


|~~]    Coloured  pages/ 


D 
D 
D 

n 

D 
D 
D 
D 


Pages  de  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagies 

Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restaurdes  et/ou  pelliculdes 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pages  ddcolordes,  tachetdes  ou  piqudes 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  ddtachdes 

Showthrough/ 
Transparence 

Quality  of  print  varies/ 
Qualiti  indgale  de  I'impression 

includes  supplementary  material/ 
Comprend  du  materiel  supplimentaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 

Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  it6  film^es  A  nouveau  de  facon  it 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


The 
pots 
of  th 
filmi 


Origl 

begir 

the 

sion, 

othei 

first 

sion, 

or  illi 


The  I 
shall 
TiNU 
whici 

IMapi 

diffei 

antirt 

begin 

right 

requii 

math 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  i'timi  au  taux  de  reduction  indiquA  ci-destoui. 


10X 

14X 

18X 

22X 

26X 

30X 

s/ 

12X 

16X 

20X 

24X 

28X 

32X 

The  copy  filmed  here  has  been  reproduced  thanks 
to  the  generosity  of: 


L'exemplaire  film6  fut  reproduit  grdce  d  la 
gin4rosit6  de: 


aire 

i  details 
ues  du 
t  modifier 
ger  une 
t  filmage 


6es 


University  of  Toronto  Library 

The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


The  last  recorded  freme  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  —^(meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  y  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 


University  of  Toronto  Library 

Les  images  suivantes  ont  6ti  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin.  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
de  la  nettet6  de  l'exemplaire  film6,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 

Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  an 
papier  est  imprimte  sont  film6s  en  commen^ant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
derniire  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  salon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  fiimis  en  commenp ant  par  la 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  eten  terminant  par 
la  derniire  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  ifiymboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
derniAre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  — »•  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbols  V  signifie  "FIN  ". 


re 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc..  mey  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
fiim^s  d  des  taux  de  reduction  diff brents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  cliche,  il  est  fiimi  d  partir 
da  I'angle  supirieur  gauche,  de  gauche  i  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  n^cessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mithode. 


y  errata 
Id  to 

It 

ie  pelure, 

con  it 


n 


I 


1 

2 

3 

V 


32X 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

> 


BRIEF  ACCOUNT 


OF   THE 


FAMILY 


OF 


Homer  -  de  Homere 


OP 


ETTINGSHALL,  CO.  STAFFORD,  ENG. 


AND 


h 


BOSTON,  MASS. 
/5  ,    ^fe/Wt,-t-6>i.     O-Z^X^^   7 


ao 


ALBANY,  N.  Y.  : 

JOEL  MUN8KLLS  SONS,  PUBLISHERS 

188!) 


Fort  Orange  Press : 
Brandow  Printing  Company,  Albany,  N.  Y. 


cs 


I    !' 


HOMER    FAMILY. 


*  ^  ♦  »■» 


fOMER  is  an  old  Saxon  name  derived  in  all 
probability  from  the  manor  of  Homere, 
now  ctdled  Hummer,  County  Somerset,  Eng- 
land. 

As  *'hoh  "  signifies  high,  and  "  m^re  "  a  pool  or  lake 
it  may  mean  high  lake.  Mere,  liowever,  also  means  a 
boundary,  a  lidge  of  land.  There  is  a  fish-pond  at 
Hummer,  but  no  lake. 

It  is  not  mentioned  in  Domesday  Book,  but  it  occurs 
no  lers  than  eight  times  in  the  Inquisitiones  Post 
Mortem  from  5  Richard  II.,  (1381-2)  to  2  Henry  V., 
(1414-15),  as  "Homere  mess'  't  terr'"  i.  e.,  Homere, 
messuage  or  manor  and  lands,  and  strange  to  say 
always  spelt  in  the  same  way,  for  the  old  clerks  were 
exceedingly  careless  in  that  respect,  and  in  ancient 
documents  surnames  are  often  spelt  two  or  more  dif' 
ferent  ways  even  in  the  same  deed. 

There  are  no  remains  of  the  manor  house  which  is 
not  sui'i)rising  as  it  was  probably  built  of  wood  as  was 
then  customary. 

The  first  of  the  surname  on  record  is  Thomas  de 
Homere,  Lord  of  the  manor  of  Homer,  to  whom  lands  hi 
the  neighboring  county  of  Dorset  were  gianted  A.  D., 
1338,  by  Lord  Maltravei's.*    His  name  appears  in  two 

*Collectanen  Topographiea  et  Qenealogka,\o\.  ^,\}.  849,   London,  1840 


4  HOMER  FAMIL  Y. 

dteds,  both  of  the  same  year,  as  Thome  de  Ilomere 
and  Thomam  de  Homere. 

In  the  fourteenth  century  according  to  a  tradition  in 
the  family  of  the  Staffordshire  Homers,  their  ancestor 
left  bis  native  county  on  account  of  having  fought  a 
duel,  and  settled  in  the  county  of  Staffoi'd,  where  he 
or  one  of  !iis  descendants  built  the  house  of  Ettingshall, 
near  Bil  ton,  parish  of  Sedgley,  and  as  the  name  of 
Thomas  de  Homere  does  not  occur  again  in  connection 
with  the  manor,  which  in  the  latter  part  of  this  same 
runh'ry  (viz.  A.  D.  1381)  was  held  by  John  Wydeford, 
I  '  rhom  or  to  whose  predecessor  he  may  have  solti  it, 
it  is  exceedingly  probable  that  this  Homere  was  the 
founder  of  the  Ettingshall  family,  especially  as  this 
tradiiion  was  received  in  1855  from  Mr.  Benjamin 
Homer  of  Bilston,  an  old  gentleman  of  seventy,  whose 
name  occurs  in  Pigott's  Directory  under  "  Gentry''  and 
in  White's  (1851)  as  "Homer.  Benj.,  gent.,"  and  who 
had  never  heai'd  of  Thomas  de  Homere,  besides  which 
the  name  is  a  very  un(;ommon  one  and  only  fnmul  in 
^feaffoi'duhit».f  ?*^ 

Surnames  with  few  exc(M)tions,  were  assumed  about 
the  year  1000.  It  soon  be  iUie  customary  to  be  named 
after  one's  landed  possessions,  and  the  territorial  de  was 
introduced  into  England  by  the  Normn.r..^  in  i«>GG. 

Thomas  of  Homere's  family  had  probably  held  the 
manor  for  so  long  a  period  that  they  considered  tjje 
name  hereditary  and  it  was  therefore  retained  by  him 
when  he  parted  with  the  lands  to    John   Wydeford,, 

t  Homerton  in  Middlesex  has  no  connection  with  this  surname,  Iiaving 
been  originally  a  hammer  or  forjye  town. 

C/S^-e-w-  <^  A^ft-O-*^*-*^  A.  /.A/vt.4.A   C^x/jU^i    /^4riA***v/    J^  CL^  , 


^ 


HOMER  FAMILY. 


who  it  is  evident  did  not  assume  the  name  of  Homer 
but  retained  his  own,  derived  either  from  some  other 
manor,  or  from  the  place  he  came  from ;  it  is  impos 
sible  to  say  which  as  he  had  ah'eady  dropped  the  prefix, 
whi'^'h  in  tiie  latter  case  would  have  been  the  Saxon 
"  atte,"  John  at  the  Wide-for<l. 

There  was  a  family  of  Homers  residing  at  Solihull, 
Co.  Warwick,  but  one  of  them  informed  me  about  forty 
years  ago  that  they  were  a  bi  inch  of  the  Ettingshalls 
although  they  did  not  bear  '  i'?  same  Arms  as  the  latter 
who  carry  argent,  a  cross-bow,  sable  between  four  cocks 
gules,  and  I  have  a  painting  of  these  A>-nis  which 
belonged  to  my  great-grandfather  Benjamin  Homer 
who  died  in  1776. 

Ettingshall  was  an  old  half-timbered  structure  of  the 
so-called  Elizabethean  type.  It  was  in  such  a  state  of 
deejay  that  it  was  taken  down  about  the  year  1868.  Its 
being  of  wood  sliows  it  was  probably  older  than  the 
time  of  Elizabeth  as  they  were  then  beginning  to  build 
of  stone.  Harrison,  who  wrote  during  her  reign  says  : 
"  The  ancient  manoursof  our  gentlemen  are  yet  and  for 
tiie  most  part  of  strong  timber,  in  framing  whei'eof  our 
carpenters  have  been  and  are  wovthilie  preferred  before 
those  of  hke  science  among  all  other  nations.  Howbeit, 
such  as  be  latelie  builded  are  commonlie  of  either  bricke 
or  hard  stone,  or  both  " 

Many  timber  houses  still  ren^ain.  Bramhall  House, 
Co.  Cliester,  is  a  good  specimen  and  is  believed  to  date 
from  the  fourteenth  century.  The  great  hall  measures 
thirty-six  feet  long  by  twenty-six  broad.  The  old  nouse 
of  the  French  Ambassadors  in  Butcher's  Row,  London, 


0 


HOMER  FAMILY. 


demolished  about  1803,  was  built  of  timber  and  was 
covered  with  roses,  fleurs  de-lis  and  dragons,  and  the 
famous  Nonsuch  House  on  old  London  Bridge  was  con- 
structed entirely  of  timber  carved  and  gilt.  It  was 
four  stories  high  and  was  built  in  Holland. 

Before  the  Reformation  one  of  the  Homers  built  '^ 
mortuary  chapel  beside  and  forming  part  of  the  chancel 
of  the  old  church  of  Sedgley,  and  the  family  vault 
was  under  it,  the  entrance  being  from  the  inside  of  the 
chancel.  On  account  of  its  age  and  dilapidated  state 
the  church  was  taken  down  and  rebuilt  by  Earl  Dudley 
in  1829,  when  the  vault  which  was  also  i-ebuilt,  was 
left  outside,  as  maj-  be  seei^  by  the  plans  still  preserv(Hl 
showing  where  the  old  mortuaiy  chapel  stood,  and 
w^hich  was  not  rebuilt,  probably  not  being  considered  a 
proper  annexe  to  the  chancel  of  a  Protestant  church. 

Edward  Homer  erected  a  pew  in  this  church  in  ]<)2(', 
which  was  occupied  by  his  descendants  until  the  de- 
molition of  the  church  when  the  oaken  seat  vvas  givon 
to  Earl  Dudley,  who  to  preserve  it  as  a  relic,  had  it 
built  in  the  wainscot  of  one  of  his  houses.  The  Park, 
Wren's  Nest  Hill,  near  Dudley.  In  1887,  I  i-equested 
F.  A.  Homer,  Esq.,  J.  P.,  of  Sedgley  to  ask  thw  prc.'sent 
Earl's  permission  to  have  it  photographed,  but  his 
Lordship  very  kindly  made  him  a  present  of  it  and  it 
is  now  ill  Mr.  Homer's  possession. 

It  bears  the  following  inscription  : 

This  :  sete  :    setvp  :  at  :  the  :    proper    :    cost    :    and 
charis  ;  of  :  Edward  Homer  :  anno   :  domTii   :    1626. 

Although  ** pews"  are  mentioned  as  early  as  1540 

still  they  were  for  a  long  time  confined  to  the  family 


HOMER  FAMILY. 


/SZz. 


of  the  patron  or  of  the  leading  families,  and  were  ex- 
ceptional rather  than  otherwise,  until  ahout  1600,  and 
even  thirty  years  later  Weever,  writing  in  1(331,  com- 
plains of  pews  as  a  novelty. 

The  surname  first  occurs  in  the  Parish  Register  of 
Sodgley  in  1500,  written  Holmer,  but  prior  to  that  date 
some  of  the  family  had  pomovod  to  the  adjoining  1 
county  of  Worcester,  and  the  first  entry  of  the  name 
there,  A.  D,  1552,  is  an  abbreviation  of  Holmer  ;  the 
second  in  1559,  an  abbreviation  of  Homer.  It  then 
appears  in*Sedgley  as  Holmer,  and  the  year  following, 
1561,  in  Worcester  as  Homer. 

Humf.  Holm.  m.  Elizabeth  Thorne,  at  Hartlebury,  . 
Co.  Worcester,  Nov.  13,  1552.     s/k^.  Mf<^.^^^^^.^^^..e£.  ~^     ^. 

Anthony  Horn.  gent.  m.  Dorothy  dan.  of  John  Rowse,  ^-'^-^  2.3, 
Esq.,  of  Rous  Lench,  Co.  Worcester,  June  12,  1559. 

Richard  Vidian  m.  Joan  Homer  at  Hartlebury,  July 
15,  1501. 

As  is  generally  the  case  with  parish  registers,  not 
only  are  the  Sedgley  entries  very  imperfect,  no  parents 
names  being  given  in  the  sixteenth  century,  but  there 
are  also  sundry  gaps  ;  no  baptisms  having  been  record- 
ed for  sixty-one  years,  from  1573  to  1034  ;  no  marriages 
for  sixty-three  yeai's,  from  1565  to  1G28,  and  no  deaths 
for  fifty-four  years,  from  1606  to  1660. 

The  first  entry  is,  "Baptized  was  William  Holmer, 
January,  1500  ;"  the  next,  "Buryed  was  Eliz.  Holmer, 
June,  1560,"  followed  by  "  Elizabeth  Holmer  married 
Fpiday,  September  1561,"— ntat  nvrun  giving  the  name 
of  hor  huoband  I 

Besides  the  above  William  a  second  of  the  name,  was 
baptized  in  1563,  a  John  in  J  uu,  1565,  and  an  Ellen  six 


^«A*,^,»Ly 


HOMER  FAMILY, 


months  later  ;  a  Margaret  in  June,  157(>,  and  an  Eliza- 
beth next  month,  a  Richard  in  August,  1571,  and  a 
second  John  in  November  of  the  same  year,  sliovving 
that  there  was  at  least  two  families  of  the  name  in  the 
parish,  and  in  the  following  century  theie  were  two  or 
more  designed  "of  Ettingshall,"  at  the  same  time. 

Richard  Holmek  m.  Oct.  1565,  Margaret  Wright,  and 
after  this  marriage  occurs  the  birth  of  Philip,  15(>7, 
{ph.  1569);  Margaret  in  June  and  Elizabeth  in  Jul>, 
1570  ;  Richard*  in  August  and  John  in  November,  1571  ; 
Joane  in  January  and  Anne  in  October,  1578,*— some  of 
whom  may  have  been  the  issue  of  this  marriage. 
Richard  Homer  of  Ettingshall  was  buried  September, 
1606.  Although  only  called  '' of  Ettingshall,"  in  the 
.  record  of  his  death  it  does  not  follow  that  he  had  only 
shortly  come  into  possession.  It  may  have  been  previ- 
ously omitted  by  neglect. 

Edward  Holmer  (I.)  who  may  have  been  grandson 
of  above  Richard  Homer  of  Ettingshall,  m.  July  8, 
1628,  Elizabeth  Wilkes,  and  had  i.ssue  : 

1.  Edward,  bapt.  Nov  5,  1634. 

2.  Thomas,  bapt.  June  15.     Buried  July  2,  1637. 

3.  Simon,  bapt.  Mar.  10,  1631». 

4.  Richard,  bapt.  Jan.  23,  1642. 

He  was  buried  Dec.  19,  1681,  when  he  is  called  "  Old 
Edward  Homer  of  Ettingshall,"  and  his  wife  Elizabeth 
Homer  of  Ettingshall  was  buried  Feb.  22,  1685.  His 
eldest  son 

Edward  Homer  ill.)  of  Ettingshall.  m.  July  16, 1656, 
Anne  Gibbins.  Although  written  Holmer  at  birth,  he 
is  then  styled  "  Edward  Homer  son  of  Edward  Homer," 

*He  probably  went  to  London  where  a  Richard  Homer,  gent.,  died  in 


HOMER  FAMILY. 


and  at  the  death  of  his  son  Joseph  is  called  "  Ji-.  of 
Ettingshall."     He  had  issue  : 
1.  Joseph,  Imiied  Feb.  D,  lOOO. 
'1.  Anne,  lapt.  Jan.  7,  IGOl. 

13.  Edward,  bapt.  Nov.  I),  1604,  and  probably  died 
young,  as  a  second  of  the  name  was  bapt.  in 
1068. 

4.  John  (Captain),  bai)t.  Mar.  'JO,  1605.     Ancestor  of 

the  American  branch,  of  wImmu  hereafter.    <»^    *  . 

5.  Edwahd,  bapt.  Feb.  l),  1008.  of  whom  next.      ^       a'    ^^'^ 
n.  Mary,  bur.  July  25,  1072. 

t.  Francis,  bapt.  Sept.  11,  167:5. 
A.  Rebecca. 

Mrs.  Anne  Homer  was  buried  May  12,  1675,  and  he 
married 'again,  as  Benjamin,  son  of  Edward  and  Jane 
Homer  of  Ettingshall  was  bapt.  Nov.  23,  1082,  and 
this  Benjamim,  vi.  Feb,  1,  1703,  Mary  Palmer. 

Edward  Homer  (,11.)  was  succeeded  by  his  son 

Edward  Homkk  (HI.)  of  Ettingshall,  who  had  issue 
by  Mary  his  wife,  a  son  Benjamin,  bap.  Sept.  10,  1710. 

Edward  Homer  of  Ettingshall  was  buried  July  10, 
1731,  ae.  03,  and  his  line  is  not  carried  further  in  the 
Register.  .      . 

We  now  take  up  another  branch,  not  knowing  which 
of  the  two  is  oldest,  but  even  if  it  was  that  of  Edward 
the  succession  merged  into  the  following  : 

Hexry  Homkk  of  Ettingshall,'S>i.  May  10,  1661,  Eliz- 
abeth Kurton,  and  is  then  styled  "son  of  the  widow 
Homer  of  Ettingshall,"  but  it  is  difficult  to  say  whose 
widow  she  was.  Perhaps  she  may  have  been  the  relict 
of  a  younger  son    living    at   home ;    fui'  iniitanoo   of  ■ 


II 


i; 


,1  /W*.  ?  * 


10 


HOMER  FAMILY. 


2. 
3. 
4. 


Simon;  born  1000,  who  may  lic'ivei   maiiicd  and  died* 
soon  aftof. 

Heniy  Homer  is  called  "of  Ettiiigshall "  in  16d7,  and 
also  at  his  death  in  1719.     He  had  issue  : 
1.  Mary,  bapt.  April  2,  1662. 
Thomas,  bapt.  Aug.  10,  1664. 
Anne,  bapt.  Dec.  21,  1667. 

Elizabeth,  bapt.  Dec.  21,  1667  and  buried  Nov.  5, 
1673. 

Mrs.  Homer  was  buried  Nov.  13,  1668.  He  was  buried 
May  16,  1719.     His  eldest  son 

Thomas  Homer  of  Ettingshall  had  issue  by  Elizabeth 
his  wife  : 

1.  Thomas,  bapt.  Apr.  16,  1702. 

2.  Anne,  bapt.  Dec.  10,  1703.  ♦ 

Mrs.  Homer  was  bur.  Oct.  20,  1704.  Thomas  Homer 
of  Ettingshall,  gent.,  was  bur.  June  4,  1730,  ae.  66, 
and  was  succeeded  by  his  son 

Thomas  Homer  (H.)  of  Ettingshall  who  m.  Patience 
dau.  of  Eichard  Keehnge.^  He  d.  1767,  ae.  (55,  and  was 
sue.  by  his  son     *-  ^-^-^  -.^^^w^w.*^  ^f  v/r<»»s^<v4.4L«.]ge  . 

John  Homer  of  Ettingshall, '''who  m.  Martha  Cox. 
Xjn  account  of  the  encroachment  of  the  colleries  whi('h 
ii\ade  the  place  no  longer  desuable   for  a  gentleman's 


Ai? 


residence  he  sold  the  greater  part  of  the  Ettingshall 
estate  and  went  to  reside  at  another  family  property, 
Bromley  Hall,  in  the  same  county,  where  he  (h  in  178S, 
and  was  sue.  by  his  son 

Richard  Homek.^wIio  m.  Huutily  Alai'y  Wtjiivui'  uiid 
BOCOUiUy  Elizabeth  Kenij).  He  sold  the  remainder  of 
the  Ettingshall  property,  and  d.  at  Pedmore  Hall,  Co. 
Worcester  iji  1847.     His  son 


n^j 


^i<jt/f%^k^i    ^fVt-mJt^s^  M^ 


1  rC»./\jk, 


BOMER  FAMILY. 


11 


Charles  Kemp  Homer,  m.  Anne  Mary  Leake.  He 
d.  at  his  house  in  Sedgley  in  1857,  having  had  issue, 
with  two  sons  who  d.  s.  p.  in.,  and  a  dau.,  two  sur- 
viving sons 

(1.)  Thomas  Keehnge  Homer,  and 

(2.)  Fi'ederick  Augustus  Homer,  a  Magistrate  for  the 
Co.  of  Stafford.     Both  of  Sedgley.  

We  now  return  to 

Captain  Johx  Homer,  eldest  son  of  Edward  Homer 
(II.)  of  Ettingshall,  who  was  baptized  March  20,  lfi65, 
and  who  appears  to  have  resi<;ned  his  right  of  succes- 
sion to  his  younger  brother,  probably  however  for  an 
equivalent,  as  he  was  owner  or  part  owner  of  the 
vessel  he  commanded. 

The  term  "Captain"  by  which  he  was  called,  is  used 
throughout  to  distinguish  this  John  as  the  founder  of 
the  American  branch. 

Savage,  in  Ins  Genealoyicnl  Dictionari/,  considers  it 
doubtful  that  ho  was  a  son  of  Edward,  but  although 
the  Ettingshall  family  were  very  careless  al)out  their 
records  still  they  had  preserved  some  memory  of  their 
ancestors,  and  about  the  year  1855,  Mr.  Benjamin 
Homer  of  Bilston,  already  referred  to,  said  there  was  a 
Captain  Jolm  Homer  who  emigrated  to  Boston  and  a 
few  years  afterward  returned  home  and  paid  a  long 
visit  to  his  family,  and  that  he  was  a  son  of  Edward 
Homer  of  Ettingshall.  He  said  moreover  that  his  own 
father  and  grandfather,  and  if  my  memory  serves  me, 
his  great-graiidl'aMier  also,  were  all  named  Benjamin, 
and  that  his  only  son,  likewise  a  Benjamin,  died  a  mid- 
shipman in  the  Royal  Navy,  and  it  will  be  noticed  that 
commencing  with  t\u)  Benjamin  born  in  1(;82,  and  his 
American  nephew  born  in  W.)S,  there  were  live  Benja- 


1 


, 


12 


HOMER  FAMILY. 


mins  in  the  Boston  branch,  showing  this  was  a  favorite 
name  in  the  family. 

At  this  time  the  Parish  Register  had  not  been  exam- 
ined and  I  was  not  aware  of  the  existence  of  Benjamin, 
step  brother  of  Capfiin  John,  nor  of  his  (Benjamin's) 
son  Benjamin,  who  were  undonbtedly  the  one's  referred 
to  by  old  Mr.  Homer.  There  were  then  five  of  that 
Chiistian  name  in  direct  succession  in  his  hne. 

The  Hon.  James  Savage  quotes  Somerby,  the  Gene- 
alogist, as  his  authority,  but  the  latter  made  tlie  inqui- 
ries for  me.  He  had  not  time  to  go  to  Bilston  but 
wrote  to  Mr.  Homer  and  some  days  after,  that  gentle- 
man who  had  come  up  to  London  to  consult  an  occulist 
called  on  him  to  apologize  for  his  neglect  in  not  re- 
plying, and  Mr.  Somerby  wrote  me  a  full  account  of 
the  interview. 

Until  then  I  did  not  know  who  was  the  father  of 
Captain  John,  and  several  years  after  desiring  to  con- 
firm the  statement  wrote  to  the  Parish  Clerk  who  sent 
me  a  very  few  names,  but  there  was  neither  a  Jolm  nor 
a  Benjamin  among  them.  He  pi'ofessed  to  have  exam- 
ined the  Register  carefully,  but  either  he  could  not 
decipher  the  crabbed  writing  or  was  too  careless  to  do  so. 

Lately  however  Mr.  F.  A.  Homer  had  the  Parish 
Register  brought  to  his  own  iiouse  and  carefully  exam- 
ined, with  the  result  not  only  of  discovering  the  one 
important  entry,  but  also  a  great  many  more  which  the 
parish  clerk  had  overlooked. 

I  may  add  that  Mr.  B.  Homer  of  Bilston,  was  born 
about  seventy  years  after  Captain  John's  death,  which 
is  not  long  for  a  tradition,  besides  which  the  connexion- 
ship  between  the  English  and  Ameiican  lines  had  not 


II 


HOMER  FAMILY. 


13 


been  entirely  lost  until  recently  as  about  the  year  1818 
two  Boston  gentlemen  connected  on  the  mother's  side 
with  our  family,  Mr.  Joseph  Joy,  of  Beacon  St.,  and 
Mr.  Samuel  Cobb,  paid  a  visit  to  their  Staffordshire 
cousins  by  whom  tliey  were  very  hospitably  received. 
Mr.  B.  P.  Homer  of  Boston,  who  died  in  1838,  knew  all 
about  this,  but  liis  three  surviving  children  had  forgot- 
ten the  particulars. 

Captain  John  Homer  emigrated  to  Boston,  circa  1690, 
and  m.  July  13,  lt')93,  Margery  Stevens.  They  had 
issue  six  sons  and  two  daus.  viz  : 

I.  John,  h.  Aug.  8,  h>{)4.  According  to  a  Msijl.  of  the 
Rev.  Jonathan  Homer,  he  died  young.  Savage 
however,  says  administration  of  a  John  Homer 
was  given  to  Mary  Homer,  Dec.  ll>,  1738. 

•2.  Mary,  b  .101)0,  d   young. 

3.  Benjamin,  b.  May  8,  1008.    Of  whom  next. 

4.  William,  b.  June  29,  1701. 

5.  Michael,  b.  Sep.  20,  1703,  m.  and  had  fo.r  sons,  of 
whom  the  eldest,  AVilliam  Hom«^r,  b.  1727,  was 
father  of  Joseph  Warren  Homer,  father  of  the 
late  Peter  Thacher  Homer  of  Boston.  The  second 
son,  Michacil  Homer,  was  father  of  the  Rev.  Jon- 
athau  Homer  of  Newton,  Mass.,  S.  T.  D.,  S.  H.  S., 
who  (J.  s.  j).  in  1813. 

0  Robert,  b.  May  29,  1706.  Merchant  at  Honduras, 
Central  America.  He  sent  his  sons  to  Boston  for 
their  education  and  afterwards  converted  his  prop- 
erty into  Spanish  doubloons  and  he  and  his  wife, 
dividing  the  gold,  embarked  in  two  different  ships, 
botli  of  which  were  supposed  to  have  been  cap- 
tured by  buccaneers.     Oiie  of  liis  sons  was  ances- 


^11 


i 


u 


HOMER  FAMIL  Y. 


tor  of  Charles  Homei  of  Boston,  who  m.  a  dan. 
of  Horatio  Spi'ague,  U.  S.  Consul  at  Gibraltar, 
and  had  issue  : 

7.  Thomas,  h.  1707. 

8.  Mary,  h.  1708. 

There  was  a  Micliael  Homer  residing  in  Boston  in 
J 676,  when  he  petitioned  for  release  from  inipi'essment 
for  the  war,  saying  he  had  had  one  servant  killed.  He 
was  probably  a  relation  of  Captain  John,  ris  he  was 
married  on  the  same  day  with  him,  July  13,  1693,  to 
Mary  Burrows. 

In  1079,  a  Roger  Homer  commanded  the  ship  Malla- 
goe  Merchant^  bound  from  Barbadoes  to  New  York. 

Captain  John  Homer  d.  Nov.  1,  1717,  ae.  52.  His 
widow  d.  in  Yarmouth,  Mass.,  in  1762,  ae.  circa  96  or 
98.     His  second  son 

Benjamin  Homer  (I.)  was  h.  in  Boston,  May  8,  1698. 
He  removed  to  Yai-mouth,  Mass.,  where  he  bought  a 
house  and  farm,  which  house  was  standing  about  the 
year  1850,  and  was  still  a  good  one.  It  was  two  stories 
high  and  at  the  time  it  was  built  must  have  been  one 
of  the  best  houses  in  the  town.  He  m.  there,  Elizabeth 
Crowe  or  Crowell,  dan.  (►f  Jolm  Crowe  and  Bethia 
Sears,  his  wife,  and  granddaughter  of  John  Crow^e,  one 
of  the  three  original  grantees  of  Yarmouth,  Repre- 
sentative to  the  General  Court  and  Magistrate, 


SEARS  FAMILY, 

John  Sayer,  Alderman  of  Colchester,  County  Essex, 
England,  d.  in  15<)9,  and  his  widow  d.  1530.  They  were 
buried  in  St.  Peter's  church,  and  the  following  brass 
memorial  is  still  iii  existence  : 


HOMEU  FAMILY. 


15 


(C 


In  this  yle  and  neare  unto  this  place  areburyed  the 
bodyes  of  John  Sayer  sometyme  Alderman  of  this 
Towne  of  Colchester  and  of  Elizabeth  his  wyfe  which 
said  John  dyed  the  xiiii  day  of  February  in  the  year  of 
our  Loid  God  MCCCCCIX."  and  which  said  Ehzabeth 
dyed  the  xxvij  day  of  April  in  the  yere  of  our  Lorde 
God  MCCCCCXXX." 

His  son  John  Sayers  d.  1562,  and  was  buried  near 
his  father,  with  the  following  memorial,  also  in  brass  : 

"  John  Sayres  bodye  lyeth  enclosed  here  in  grave 
Whose  ghost  the  heavens  do  possess,  whose  fame  on 

earth  we  have 
His  life  and  eke  his  death  with  good  report  he  past 
And  now  (doubtless)  doth  enjoy  the  life  that  aye 

shall  last. 
Whenfiftene  hundreth  yeares  and  sixty  three  were 

spent 
From  Chryst  his  Byrth  accounted  just  from  payne 

to  joyes  he  went. 

He  dyed  Ano  Dni  1563." 

His  eldest  son  Richard  Sayers,  h.  1508,  .n.  Anne 
Kny vet,  dau.  of  John  Knyvet  of  Ashwelthorpe,  County 
Norfolk,  by  his  wife  Jane,  dau.  and  sole  heiress  of  John 
Bourchier,  second  Lord  Berners,  by  his  wife  Catherine, 
dau.  of  John  Howard,  Duke  of  Norfolk.  Her  mother, 
Anne  Plantagenet  was  dau  of  Thomas  of  Woodstock, 
Duke  of  Gloucester,  son  of  Knig  Edward  III. 

Richard  Sayer  or  Sayres,  a  political  refugee,  settled 
in  Amsterdam  in  1587,  and  d.  1540,  leaving  a  son  John 
Bourchier  Sayer,  b.  1535,  m.  Elizabeth,  dau.  of  Admiral 
Sir  John  Hawkins,  and  d.  in  Holland.  His  son  John 
Bourchier  Sayer  (II),  h.  in  Amsterdam,  1501,  m.  1585, 
Maria  Lamoraal  van  Egmond,  dau.  of  Philippe  Lani- 
oraal  van  Egmond,  (believed  to  have  been  a  relation  of 
the  famous  Count  Lamoraal  van  Egmond,   who  was 


.'Ji 


If  HOMER  FAMILY. 

murdered  by  the  bloody  Duke  of  Alva),  and  acquired 
with  her  a  large  fortune.  lie  d.  1029.  His  eldest  sou 
Richard  Sayer  or  Sears,  h.  in  Holland  in  1590,  attached 
himself  to  the  congregation  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Robinson, 
and  sailed  for  America,  landing  in  Plymouth  in  1030. 
He  m.  there  Dorothy,  sister  of  the  Rev.  Anthony 
Thacher.  He  was  a  representative  to  the  Colony  Court 
and  d.  1040,  ae.  80.  His  second  son,  Paul  Scars,  m- 
Deborah  Willard,  and  was  father  of  Bethia,  wife  of 
John  Crowell,  whose  dau.  Elizabeth,  m.  Benjamin 
Homer  to  whom  we  now  return. 


Benjamin  Homer  (I.)  had  issue,  six  sons  and  three 
daughters,  viz., 

1.  Bethia,  h.  March  18,    1722,  m.   Benjamin  Cobb,  of 

Boston. 

2.  JOKN,  b.  Sept.  28,  1 724-,  m.  Sept.  28,  1749,  Abigail 

Osborn  of  Nantucket,  of  whom  next. 

3.  Margery,  h.  June  13,  1727,  m.  Jan.  3, 1705,  William 

Sears  of  Harwich. 

4.  William,  b.  July  14,  1729.     A  Loyalist.     Removed 

to  Barrington,  N.  S.,  and  d.  a  bachelor  on  voyage 
fiom  Barbadoes  to  Boston. 

5.  Benjamin,  b.  Auj.  5,  1731.     Removed  to  Boston. 

Of  whom  hereafier. 

0.  Stephen,  b.  A])i-il  j5,  1734,  m.  Elizabeth  Chapman 
of  Yarmouth. 

7.  Thomas,  b.  March  21,  1730,  m.  Nov.  21,  1705,  Eliz- 
abeth Sears  and  removed  to  Ve»'nior  t. 

S.  Ehzabeth,  b.  Nov.  18,  1738,  m.  Davi.l  Knowles  of 
Eastham, 

9.  Robert,  b.  Jan.  28,  1742,  m.  first,  Jerusha  Sears, 
and  secondly  the  widow  of  John  Thacher. 


HOMER  FAMILY. 


17 


Mr.  Homer  cl.  in  Yarmouth,  Oct.  24,  1776,  ae.  78. 
His  eldest  son  John  Homer,  removed  to  Boston  and  was 
a  merchant  and  ship  owner.  He  was  also  one  of  the 
"Sons  of  Liberty,"  an  association  of  fifteen  gentlemen 
formed  about  1 70S.  wlio  were  in  the  habit  (for  there 
were  no  clubs  in  those  days),  of  meeting  at  the  old  Green 
Dragon  tavern,  in  Hanover  street. 

During  the  year  1768,  the  Massachusetts  Assembly 
voted  to  raise  a  Committee  of  Correspondence  with  her 
sister  colonies,  upon  their  mutual  grievances,  which 
alarmed  the  British  Ministry  who  gave  instructions  to 
Governor  Bernard  to  express  to  the  House  their  disap- 
probation of  the  Act  and  to  demand  its  repeal.  This 
led  to  a  warm  debate  which  resulted  in  a  vote  '•  Not  to 
Rescind  " 

The  Sons  of  Liberty,  in  order  to  commemorate  this 
event  had  a  massive  silver  punch  bowl  made,  on  which 
was  engraved,  together  with  several  emblematical  de- 
vices, the  following  inscription  : 

*'  To  the  memory  of  the  glorious  ninety-two  Members 
of  the  House  of  Representatives  of  the  Massachusetts 
Bay,  who,  undaunted  by  tlie  insolent  menaces  of  vil- 
lains in  power — from  a  strict  regard  to  conscience  and 
the  liberties  of  their  constituents — on  the  30th  of  June 
1768  voted  '  Not  to  rescind.'  " 

On  the  reverse  side  are  "  45"  "  Wilkes  and  Liberty"* 
and  along  the  edge  are  the  names  of  the  "  Sons  "  in  the 
following  order  : 

*Thi8  refers  to  that  shamefully  traduced  man,  John  Wilkes,  who  con- 
quered for  us  the  freedom  of  the  press,  and  the  number  (45)  of  his  paper, 
the  North  Briton,  which  caused  his  prosecution  by  Government.  He  is 
too  often  judjyed  from  his  portrait  by  Hogarth  which  may  be  styled  a 
political  caricature.  The  "villains  in  power"  were  the  Britieh  Ministry, 
and  they  were  not  unaptly  so  styled. 


Il 


/St4, 


18 


HOMER  FAMILY. 


John  Homer,  William  Bowers,  Peter  Boyer,  Benja- 
min Cobb,  William  Mackay,  John  Marston,  Caleb 
Hopkins,  Nathaniol  Barber,  John  White,  Daniel  Mal- 
colm, Benjamin  Goodwin,  John  Welsh,  Fortesque 
Vernon,  Daniel  Parker,  Ichabod  Jones, — all  of  whom 
belonged  to  Botjton.  The  foui'th,  Benjamin  Cobb,  was 
brother-in-law  to  John  Homer,  having  married  his 
sister  Bethia. 

Although  a  "  Son  of  Liberty  "  in  1768,  John  Homer 
was  a  loyalist  a  few  years  later  and  accompanied  the 
Royal  army  to  Nova  Scotia  in  1776,  and  thereby  lost  a 
great  deal  of  shipping  and  also  landed  property  which 
was  confiscated.  He  settled  at  Barrington,  N.  S.,  and 
was  father  of  Joseph  Homer,  J.  P.,  Collector  of  Customs, 
who  had  issue  (I.)  John,  member  of  Provincial  Assem- 
bly, d.  1846,  and  was  sue.  as  member  by  his  son  John 
W.  ;  and  (II.)  Joseph,  father  of  J.  A.  R.  Homer,  M.  P. 
of  New  Westminster,  B.  C.,  who  was  member  of  the 
first  Legislative  Assembly  in  British  Columbia,  and 
member  Dominion  Parliament,  d.  I8f6.  The  family  in 
Nova  Scotia  still  treasure  up  some  silver  plate  and 
choice  old  furniture  which  John  the  loyalist  brought 
from  Boston. 

The  second  surviving  son  of  B.  Homer  (I.), 

Benjamin  Homer  (II.)  b.  Yarmouth,  Aag.  5,  1731, 
removed  to  Boston  and  m.  Oct.  23, 1759,  Mary  Perrott, 
dau.  of  Bryant  Perrott  and  Ruth  Wads  worth  his  wife. 


PERROTT  FAMILY. 


Bryant  Perrott  of  County  Somerset,  England,  and 
Hannah  his  wife,  had  a  son  Bryant,  h.  1690.  He  was 
a  merchant  and  resided  in  Water  street,  Boston.    His 


l: 


HOMER  FAMILY. 


19 


brick  maii>->ion  house  and  stable  were  consumed  in  the 
great  fire  in  1760. 

He  wv.  Ruth,  dau,  of  Deacon  John  Wt>  Jsworth  of 
Milton,  Mass.,  re])resentative  to  the  General  Court,  and 
niece  of  Rev.  B.  Wads  worth,  President  of  Harvard 
University,  and  of  the  Hon.  Joseph  Wadsworth,  one  of 
H.  M.  judges — three  sons  of  Capt.  Samuel  Wadsworth, 
w^ho  with  his  Lieutenant  and  twenty-six  men,  were 
killed  by  the  Indians  in  1676,  at  Sudbury,  Mass.,  where 
there  is  a  monument  to  his  memory. 


Benjamin  Homer  (II)  was  a  merchant  and  ship  owner 
in  partnership  with  his  l)rother  John,  and  the  firm 
owned  several  vessels.  Unfortunately  however,  he  was 
accidentally  killed  in  1776,  and  his  brother,  as  already 
stated,  left  the  country,  and  all  their  vessels  were  seized 
and  confiscated  during  the  Revolutionary  War.  He  re- 
sided in  Cross  street,  Norih  End,  then  the  best  part  of 
town,  and  owned  negro  slaves  (house  servants),  for 
slavery  w^as  not  then  abolished  in  Massachuseiits,  and 
to  give  some  idea  of  the  times,  his  son  Mr.  Benj.  Perrott 
Homer,  told  me  when  I  was  a  boy  that  he,when  of  the 
same  age,  had  a  negro  boy  to  attend  to  himself  alone  ; 
that  he  then  wore  breeches*  with  little  gold  knee  and 
shoe  buckles,  carried  a  little  gold  headed  cane,  and  his 
negro  attended  him  to  school  and  followed  him  every- 
where.    He  had  one  son  and  four  daughters,  viz., 

1.  Benjamin  Parrott,  of  whom  next. 

2.  Ruth,  m.  Mons.  Pierre  Remi  Arsonneau,  a  French 

gentleman,  and  d.  a  widow,  s.  p. 

3.  Elizabeth,  m.  Judge  A.masa  Paine,  of  Troy,  N.  Y., 

*Boy8,  when  lie  said  this,  wore   paiitaloons,  for  knickerbockers  were 
noi  introduced,  or  rather  reintroduced  until  some  years  later 


m 


20 


HOMER  FAMIL  Y. 


s 


brother  of  Judge  Elijah  Paine,  father  of  Kon. 
Charles  Paine,  Governor  of  Vermont,  f 

4.  Mary,   m.   Hon.  Lot.  Hall,  of  Westminster,   Vt., 

Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Vermont. 

5.  Bethia  Cobb,  m.   Col.   Oliver  Gallup,   A,  D.  C.  of 

Governor  Chittenden. 

Mr.  Homer  was  killed  at  Farmington,  Conn.,  while 
returning  home  from  Montreal  on  horseback,  the  only 
way  of  travelling  then,  by  a  slide  of  earth  falling  upon 
him,  March  30,  1770.  He  was  buried  there  and  his  ep- 
itaph says  he  was  "  A  Kind  Husband,  a  Tender  Father, 
a  Faithful  Master,  a  Pleasant  Friend  and  a  Zealous 
Patriot." 

His  widow  survived  him  but  a  few  years,  dying  of  a 
broken  heart,  March  4,    1779,    ae.   39.     His  only  son, 

Benjamin  Perrott  Homer, 6.  in  Boston,  June  30,1761, 
was  baptized  Benjamin,  but,  afterwards  assumed  the 
additional  name  of  his  mothe-s  family  which  was  then 
become  extinct  by  the  decease  in  1784,  of  the  only  son 
(Bryant  Perrott)  of  his  mother's  only  brother.  He  m. 
in  Gloucester,  Mass.,  April  1,  1790,  i\bigail,  dau.  of 
David  Pearce  of  Gloucester,  and  Bethia  Ingersoll,  his 
wife,    yhe  d.  Jan.  11,  1811,  ae.  37. 


PEARCE  FAMILY. 

Pavid  Pearce  was  fifth  in  descent  from  Abraham 
Pearce  who  was  in  Plymouth,  Mass.,  with  two  servants 
about  the  year  1623. 

He  was  one  of  the  first  merchants  in  the  country  and 
is  said  to  have  owned  a  fleet  of  about  fifty  vessels,  forty 

fThe  Duchess  of  Marlborough  is  of  this  sfamily,  her  mother's  name 
being  Elizabeth  Homer  Paine. 


«".-*>* 


'! 


MOMER  FAMILY. 


21 


of  which  were  square  I'igged,  but  lost  most  of  them 
about  A.  D.,  1800,  they  being  all  seized  and  confiscated 
by  the  French. 

I  have  a  painting  of  the  ship  Sukefj,hu'\\t  in  17!)3,  Hho 
measured  390  tons  rnul  was  considered  a  first  class  ship.  T^ 
He  sold  her  in  London  in   1797,  to  Admiral  Sir  Homo 
Popham. 

During  the  Revolutionary  war  he  rendered  important 
services  to  the  American  Government,  for  the  Navy  of 
the  Revolution  consisted  almost  entirely  of  private 
armed  vessels,  as  the  Govermnent  had  no  squadrons 
upon  the  seas  and  this  Navy  did  their  duty  so  well  that 
the  rates  of  insurance  rose  in  England  to  forty  and 
even  sixty  per  cent,  and  was  n  })iincipal  reason  that  a 
feeling  in  favor  of  peace  at  last  took  place  there. 

The  following  is  a  "List  of  Guns"'  of  his  afloat  dur- 
ing the  war : 

Ships. —  Betsctj,  24:  ;  Getteral  Stark,  24: -,  Providence, 
20  ;  Pollt/,  20 ;  Harriet,  10  ;  WilkeSf  1(» ;  Glo'ster 
Packet,  16. 

'Bm.Gii.  -Gloucester,  16;  Success,  16. 

ScHoONKRS. — Speed,  10  ;  Speedwell,  10  ;  Langdon,  8  ; 
Ranger,  8.        Total,  20-t  guns. 

•  The  General  Stark  was  captured  by  the  British 
frigate  Chatham  (50  guns).  The  Wilkes,  Harriet  and 
Betsey  were  also  captured  at  that  time.  Others  were 
taken  by  the  French  prior  to  July  1801.  He  would 
never  insure,  considering  it  a  mistrusting  of  Providence. 
He  had  very  large  "  French  spoliation"  claims,  but  his 
papers  which  were  sent  to  Washington,  in  1806,  were 
burnt  when  the  British  destroyed  the  Capitol  i»i  1812. 
He  died  March  16,  ae.  81, 


0  ^%>f . 

T^ 


S2 


HOMER  FAMILY. 


Benj.  P.  Homer  was  an  East  India  merchant  and 
private  underwriter,  but  retired  from  business  about 
1815,  when  he  built  the  house  No.  38  Beacon  stieet 
corner  of  Walnut  street  where  he  resided  until  his  death 
in  1837,  when  it  fell  to  his  only  son  as  part  of  his  share, 
and  was  sold  at  his  decease  (without  ihe  stable  \vbi(;h 
was  sold  separately)  for  seventy  thousand  dollars,  (^-f^  •  ^^-J 

Mr.  Homer  met  with  some  heavy  losses  in  the 
financial  crisis  of  1830-37.  By  one  bank  alone  he  lost 
exactly  ninety-five  thousand  dollars?  ecjual  to  twice  or 
thrice  that  sum*  now,  and  his  iron  chest  was  robbed  of 
over  that  sum  in  bonds  payable  to  bearei',  which  were 
never  recovered.  Gentlemen  then  had  so  called  strong 
boxes  with  locks  that  a  modern  burglar  would  laugh  at. 

He  d.  April  4,  1838,  ae.  76,  having  had  issue  nine 
children,  six  of  whom  predeceased  him  without  issue, 
viz  : 

1.  Benjamin  Perrott,  d.  an  infant. 

2.  Benjamin  Pearce,  d.  young. 

3  Mary  Bethia,  b.  June  7,  1702,  ni.  1818,  Thomas 
Dixon,  Knight  of  the  Ordei'  of  the  Netherlands 
Lion  and  of  the  Order  of  the  Lily,"  and  had  issue 
with  one  son  who  d.  uiun.  Jf^'i.  X^  /6.^9ps^ . 
(1.)  Benjamin  Homer  Dixon,  K.  N.  L.,  Consul 
General  of  the  Netherlands  in  Canada,  of  Toron- 
to, who  m.  first  Kate  McGill,  dau.  of  the  Hon. 
Chief  Justice  Sir  James  B.  Macaulay,  C.  B.,  and 
secondly  Frances  CaroHne,  dau.  of  William  B. 
Heward,  Esq.''*'(2.)  Fitz  Eugene  Dixon,  who  m. 
Catherine  Chew,  dau.  of  the  Hon.   George  M. 

*  Vide  The  Border  Clan    Dickion,  in  preparation. 

«^*A .  ^.  ^9^^,    <^>*«-o^«-^  /Sf*^»K>^>uU^  w/^<-c-«-3  <2tfu4x^^  '2>*«**«j**.«. 
^a^-w.  -^  ^C^C^yL.   <-i*-i-v-  ^^»-^'^^,  A  -r'if  <*«<*«»»^^^'**J^''^*^^ 


I 


HOMER  FAMILY. 


23 


Dallas,  Vice  President  of  the  U.  S.  A.,  son  of  the 
Hon.  Alexander  James  Dallas,  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury  of  the  U.  S.  A  ,  and  d.  l88o,  (8).  Har- 
riet E.  M  ,  m.  first  William  Henry  Boulton,  Esq., 
of  Toronto,  M.  I*.  P.,  of  theBoultons  of  Monlton, 
County  Lincoln,  Eng.,  and  secondly  Professor 
Goldwin  Smith,  D.  C.  L.,  of  Oxford  and  Toronto. 
Of  the  Smiths  of  Hough,  Co.  Chester,  and  in 
the  fourteenth  century  of  Peel  House,  Co.  Lan- 
caster, one  hranch  of  which  was  baroneted. 

4.  Eliza,  d.  unm. 

5.  FiTZHENRY,  of  whom  next, 
fi.  Harriet  Paine,  c?.  unm. 

7.  Sanmel  Cobb,  d.  young. 

8.  Georgiana  Albertina,    b.    isoo,    m.   Philo  Strong 

Shelton,  Esq.,  of  Boston,  fourth  in  descent  from 
Daniel  Shelton  of  Deptford,  Co.,  York,  Eng. 
who  settled  at  Stiatford,  Conn.,  where  he  m.  in 
1092,  Elizabeth,  dau.  of  Hon.  Samuel  Welles, 
son  of  F]on.  Thomas  Welles,  Governor  of  Connec- 
ticut, and  has  surviving  issue  as  follows  :  (1). 
Philo  Strong  ;  (2.)  Charles  Parkman  \  (3.)  Ben- 
jamin Homer  ;  (4.)  Albeitina,  m.  Frederick  R. 
Sears,  son  of  the  Hon.  David  Sears,  a  descendant 
of  Richard  Sears,  the  pilgrim,  heretofore  referred 
to.  (5.)  Helen  Eugenia,  m.  Capt.  Richard  G. 
Cary,  son  of  the  Hon.  Thomas  G.  Cary.  He  was 
shot  during  the  last  war  on  the  very  day  his 
commission  as  Lieut-Colonel  was  signed.  (6.) 
Harriet  Homer,  m.  Charles  J.  Randall,  son  of 
the  Hon.  Judge  Randall  and  brother  of  the  Right 
Rev.  Bishop  Randall. 


cl  nps^ 


i 

\ 


t 


24 


HOMER   FAMILY. 


The  only  son 

FiTZHENRY  HoMEK,  h»  in  Boston  in  1799,  m.   Nancy 
Bradford,   dau.   of  the  Hon.   James  D'Wolf,  of  Bris- 
tol,  R.   I.,  U.  S.  Senator,  by  his  wife  Nancy,    dau.  of 
the  Hon.  William  Bradford,  Lieut.-Governor  of  Rhode 
Island,    who  was   fourth  in    descent    from   Governor 
William  Bradford  who  came  ovei-  in  the  Mayffoiver  in 
1620,  and  had  issue  : 
1.  Josephine  Maria,  b.  1830,  m.  Henry  Bedlow%  Sec- 
retary   of  the    Legation   of    the  U.   S.   A.,  to 
Naples,  and  afterwards  mayor  of  Newport,  K.  I. 
'2.  Isabel,  b.  1S43,  m.  John  Combe  Pegram,  Midship- 
man,  U.  S.    Navy,    and  now   Barrister  at-Law, 
Bristol,  R.  I. 
By  the  death  of  Fitzlienry  Ilomei-   in  Boston,  in  185r», 
without  male  issue,  this  branch  of  tiie  fan)ily  became 
extinct. 


A  sliort  account  of  the  family  may  be  found  in 
"  Bridgman's  King's  Chapel  Epitaphs,  8vo,  Boston, 
1853,''  in  someeditions  of  which,  b(iwev«'i.,  the  family  is 
erroneously  derived  from  a  Richard  de  Ilelunor. 


INDEX- 


INDEX  OF   HOMERS. 


Albertina,  23. 
Anne,  9,  10. 

Benjamin,  4,  5.  9,  11,13.  14.18,19. 
Benjamin  Pearce,  22. 
Benjamin  Perrott,  19,  20. 
Betliia,  10. 

Charles.  14. 

Edward,  0,  8,  9,  11- 
Eliza,  23. 

Elizabeth,  7,  8.  10,  19. 
Ellen,  7. 

Fitzhenry,  23,  24. 

Francis.  9. 

Frederick  AugUBlus,  6.  11. 

Georjrinna  Albertina.  23. 

Harriet  Paine,  23. 
Henry,  9.  10. 
Humfrey,  7. 

James,  9. 
J.  A.  R.,  18. 
Jouatht^D)  13. 


John,  7,  10, 13.  16,  17,  18. 
John  (Captain),  9,  11,  12,  13. 
Joseph,  9, 18. 
Joseph  Warren,  13. 

Maigery,  8,  10. 
Mary,  9,  10,  13. 
Mary  Bethia,  22. 
Michael,  13,  14. 

Peter   Thacher.  13. 

Rebecca,  9. 
Richard,  8. 
Robert,  13. 
Roger,  14. 
Ruth,  19. 

Samuel  Cobb,  23. 
Simon,  8,  10. 
Stephen,  16. 

Thomas,  8,  10,  14. 
Thomas  de,  3,  4. 
Thomas  Keelinge,  1 1 

Wllliam,7, 13.  16. 


■ 


26 


i 


HOMER  FAMILY. 
INDEX  OF   ALLIANCES,  ETC. 


Arsonneau,  Pierre  R.,  19. 

Bedlow,  Henry,  24. 
Berners,  Lord,  15. 
Boulton,  William  H.,  33. 
Bourchier,  Jane,  15. 
Bourchier.  John,  15. 
Bradford,  Nancy,  24. 
Bradford,  Williiim.  24. 
Burrows,  Mary,  14. 

Cary,  Richard  G..  23. 
Cary,  Thomas  G.,  23. 
Chapman,  Elizabeth,  16. 
Cobb,  Benjamin,  16,  18. 
Cobb,  Samuel,  13. 
Cox,  Martha,  10. 
Crowell,  Elizabeth,  1«. 
Crowell,  John,  14.  16. 
Dallas,  Alexander  J.,  23. 
Dallas,  Catherine  C,  22. 
Dallas,  George  M.,  22. 
Dixon,  Benj.  Ho.ner,  22. 
Dixon,  Fitz  Eugtne,  22. 
Dixon,  Harriette  E.  M.,22. 
Dixon,  Thomas.  22. 
D'Wolf.  James.  24. 
D'Wolf,  Nancy,  24. 

Egmond  van,  Maria  L.,  1.5. 
Egmond  van,  Phillipe  L.,   15, 
Egmond  van,  Count,  15. 

Gallup,  Oliver,  20. 
Gibbins,  Anne,  8. 
Gloucester,  Duke  of,   l."». 

Hall,  Lot,  20. 
Hawkins,  Elizabeth,  15. 
Hawkins,  Sir  John,  15. 


Heward,  Frances  C,  22 
Reward,  William  B.,  22 
Howard,  Catherine,  15. 

IngersoU,  Bethia,  20. 

Keelings,  Richard.  10. 
Kemp,  Elizabeth,  10. 
Knowles,  David,  16. 
Knyvet,  Anne,  15. 
Knyvet,  John,  15. 
Kurton,  Elizabeth,  S). 

Leake,  Anne  Mary,  11. 

Macaulay,  Sir  James  B.,  22. 
Macaulay,  Kate  McQ.,  22. 

Norfolk,  Duke  of,  15. 

Osbcrne,  Abigail,  16. 

Paiue,  Amasa,  19. 
Paine,  Charles,  20. 
Paine.  Elijah,  20. 
Paine,  Elizabeth,  19. 
Palmer,  Mary,  9. 
Pearce,  Abigail,  20. 
Peiirce,  Abraham.  20. 
Pearce,  David,  20. 
Pegram,  John  C. ,  24. 
Perrott,  Bryant,  18,  20. 
Perrott.  Miiry,  18. 
Plantagenet,  Anne, .15. 

Randall,  Charles  J.,  23. 
Rowse,  Dorothy,  7. 
Rowse.  John,  7. 

Sayeror  Sears,  Bethia,  14,  16. 
Sayer  or  Sears,  David,  23. 
Sayer  or  Sears,  Elizabeth,  15,   16. 
Sayer  or  Sears,  Frederick  R.,  88. 


HOMER  FAMILY. 


m 


*Sayer  or  Sears,  Jerusha,  16. 
Sayer  or  Sears,  John,  14,  15. 
Sayer  or  Sears,  Joha  B.,  15. 
Sayer  or  Sears,  Paul,  IG. 
Sayer  or  Sears,  Richard,  16,  2!^. 
Sayer  or  Senrs,  William,  16. 
Shelton,  Alberlina,  23. 
Shelton,  Benjamin  H.,  23. 
Shelton,  Charles  P.,  23. 
Shelton,  Harriet  H.,  23. 
Shelton,  Helen  E  ,  23. 

Shaltont  JoFephinp  Mi,  ^4. 
Shelton  PhiloS.,23, 
Smith,  Gold  win,  23. 


Thacher,  Anthony,  16. 
Thacher,  Dorothy,  16. 
Thacher,  Joiin,  16. 
Thorne,  Elizabeth.  7. 

Vidian,  Richard,  7. 

Wadsworth,  Benjamin,  19. 
Wadsworth,  Jolin,  19. 
Wadsworth,  Joseph,  19. 
Wadsworth,  Samuel,  19. 
Weaver,  Mary,  10. 
We'les,  Samuel,  33. 
Welles,  Thomas,  23. 
Wilkes,  Elizabeth,  8. 
Willard,  Deborah,  16. 


^ 


a>9Lm.- 


f<- 


JfC^^^^  ^L./<^a. 


